I move on to Chapter 3 in my sermon series on Philippians. Here we find the apostle Paul making a stark evaluation of his life and writes how much he takes pride in coming to know Christ. Note how he states it:

"Yet, whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him..." Phil. 3:7-9

Paul had talked about his heritage as a Jew and now says that what he now prizes most highly is his new found faith in Christ. It changes everything in his life. It has given him a new direction. He has a new cause for which to rally all his strength.

I believe what the apostle writes about here is that we all like to look at our own achievements to see what we can hold high about ourselves. Maybe we pride ourselves on being of a certain nationality or achievements as a parent or in a career.

As a Christian each of us needs to evaluate what our faith means to us. It has us look at our commitment. It has us look at what we are willing to give up in order to be in service for our Lord.

In preparation for Sunday's worship, you might want to read through the entire Chapter 3. May God's blessing be upon your preparation for

Discipleship Questions for Reflection

Are there things about your life that you value more highly than knowing Christ?

Is there a noble cause that is calling for your attention? Does it relate to your faith in Christ?